Semiconductor-based lighting such as that using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has recently become popular because of its durability and efficiency. LED-based lighting can last thousands of hours longer even than fluorescent lighting, while consuming far fewer watts per lumen. However, LED lighting presents challenges of its own. LEDs have a minimum forward voltage that must be applied before the LEDs begin to emit light. When being driven by a sinusoidal voltage waveform, such as those typically available from alternating current line voltages, networks of LEDs can have gaps in light transmission at points in time when the voltage waveform drops below the total forward voltages of the meshes. This can create a noticeable vibration-like effect that some people find irritating, and reduce the overall light output of the LED-based lighting.
Thus, there remains a need for a lighting circuit and driver that can efficiently utilize a greater portion of a power signal having a varying voltage.